


Tomorrow Will Come

by Fandoms_Ruin_Life



Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid
Genre: And you can be certain that I'm gonna try to at least mention these aspects, Autistic Hannah Foster, Autistic Paul Matthews, BAMF Lex, Bi Lex Foster, But these are certainly my headcanons for the characters, Dyslexic Ethan Green, Ethan Green Lives, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Found Family, Gay Henry Hidgens, Good Henry Hidgens, Henry is Ethan's Uncle, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mr and Mrs Green's A+ Parenting, Mrs Foster's A+ Parenting, Non-Binary Ethan Green, Nonbinary Ethan Green, Other, Pan Ethan Green, Protective Ethan Green, Protective Lex, Protective Tom Houston, These tags may not all come to fruition
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:13:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23049124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandoms_Ruin_Life/pseuds/Fandoms_Ruin_Life
Summary: Ethan survives the attack, but will this change how the story ends?
Relationships: Ethan Green & Henry Hidgens, Hannah Foster & Ethan Green, Hannah Foster & Lex Foster, Lex Foster/Ethan Green
Comments: 14
Kudos: 148





	1. You're Not Dead Yet

Pain. 

There was so much pain before the darkness came to claim them.

The last clear thing that Ethan could remember was calling out for Hannah to hide, for her to run. Then, the cloud of hurt came to swallow them. The darkness which beckoned seemed welcoming, and Ethan couldn't help but succumb to it. 

But the comfort of darkness didn't last for long.

They weren't sure how long they were out for, but upon awakening they were certain that they would have preferred to stay unconscious. The relief of being alive was overshadowed by the pain of surviving. 

Ethan laid there for a moment, the pounding in their head making thinking a difficult task. It was only as they heard the sound of frenzied searching that the need to move prevailed over the desire to stay still. Moving was agony, but the thought of those crazed shoppers coming back to finish the job provided enough of an adrenaline rush to complete the task. Sure, unconsciousness was welcoming, but death certainly was not. Especially if those shoppers posed a threat to the people they loved. 

They were too stubborn to die now anyway, and they were certainly not going to allow their family to die at the hands of some insane Black Friday shoppers. 

However, it was no easy task. Ethan could barely walk, their body protesting every movement made. They needed to get some help as they were of no use to Hannah or Lex in this condition. Their worry for their girlfriend and her sister consumed their whole being, and it pained them that they could do no more to help. That they couldn't ensure that the only two people in the world who cared for them were safe and uninjured.

Ethan had to try and get the girls' safety, they had to find help. All they had to do was just get out of the mall and maybe then they could find someone who wasn't affected by whatever the hell was going on in here. Maybe they could find someone who could do what they could not, and find Lex and Hannah to pull them to safety.

They hoped that the two were okay. Sure, Ethan knew that Lex was fully capable of taking care of herself, but that didn't stop them from worrying. Especially when they considered the fact that Hannah was likely on her own, and probably thought them dead. They hated that they couldn't find her like they had promised to always do. 

Ethan didn't usually put much stock in talismans and charms, but they hoped to God that the hat had at least provided some comfort to Hannah in this time. It wasn't much, but at least they could be with her in that small way. Though, they would much rather be right by her side and protecting her in person, Ethan was glad that they had given Hannah their much-loved hat earlier that day. Hannah had well and truly become like a little sister to them, rather than just the sister of their girlfriend. The three of them had really become a family over the past few years, and Ethan would truly do anything for them. Giving Hannah a 'magic hat' seemed like a good solution at the time, and they could only pray that she still believed that it could help her. Maybe she wouldn't be so scared.

They just hoped that they could all get out of this situation in one piece. 

Though with each step, 'all' seemed like it would be less and less likely to happen. Their vision began to darken again, and the pain in their already pounding head somehow increased exponentially. Breathing became a much more difficult task and a throbbing pain in both their knee and wrist grasped hold of them with full force. Their chest was burning, and the likelihood that they had sustained a concussion was almost certain with the way that the crazed man was kicking it. The amount of internal damage must be extraordinary, and Ethan was fully aware that the only thing keeping them on their feet was the adrenaline coursing through their veins. The hope of getting themselves out of this madness alive decreased with each step they took, their only hope now was to find help before the inevitable occurred. 

Relief poured through them as the doors to the mall came within sight. The outside was near, and although they could feel themselves tiring, Ethan gave one final push of energy to get themselves to hopeful saviour which was the outside world. Their relief soon turned to despair, however, due to the deserted streets which greeted them. Leaning against one of the large bins for support, Ethan tried to get control of their body once more, fighting the exhaustion that settled over them like a blanket. All they needed was one person, but even that didn’t seem to want to go to plan. The universe definitely seemed to be against them today.

Blinking away the darkness threatening the edges of their vision, they tried to stay awake for just a little longer. Maybe someone was just around the corner? Maybe a car would drive down the street? But as the final spurts of adrenaline left them, Ethan knew that their dreams of survival were slim, the chance of someone saving them now was next to nothing. 

Ethan only had one thought before darkness reclaimed them once more:

'How are we gonna get outta this one, Lex?'


	2. We Survived the Crisis, Babe

It was safe to say that Lex was not having a good day. What should have been one of the happiest days of her life had all too quickly turned into the worst. She could never have predicted that her life would be ruined over a doll, yet somehow that is exactly what had happened. 

At least Hannah was safe.

As she and the very few sane people left ran out of the mall to escape the fire, her worry for Ethan started to envelop her in full force. Up until the moment that she had seen Hannah captured by the crazy cult members, Lex had clung onto the hope that Ethan had managed to get the both of them to safety. 

That hope was squashed quickly, but she had buried the worry she felt for her boyfriend down until she knew that Hannah was safe; her sister would always be her priority. But now, as they ran to escape the mall, she couldn't help but let her mind wander over what could have happened. 

She trusted Ethan with her life and knew with certainty that they would never abandon her sister, they had too big a heart for that. But as the other possible scenarios rushed through her mind she almost hoped that they did. Ethan was one of the only pieces of stability in her life and she didn't know what she would do without them. 

She hoped to God that Ethan wasn’t dead or trapped somewhere within the mall. 

Even as these thoughts swirled around in her head, she kept a tight grip onto Hannah as there was no way that she was potentially going to lose two people today. This made it immediately clear when the younger girl tripped over something just outside the mall, before stiffening and refusing to move further.

Turning around to make sure she was okay, Lex couldn't stop the shocked scream that escaped her throat. Collapsed partially behind some large bins was Ethan, and there was no other word for it- they looked dead.

Ethan's skin was pale and bloodied, their knee was so swollen it could be seen through the jeans and their fingers were pointing in all numbers of unusual directions. Their body was still and Lex wasn't even sure that she could see Ethan's breathing. She felt numb with shock, and it was all Lex could do to summon the will to cover Hannah's eyes, not wanting the younger girl to stare at the sight for longer than necessary.

It wasn't long before Becky and Tom reached the pair of siblings after being alerted by her scream, and once again Lex found herself grateful that her ex-teacher was in the mall today. After all, had he not been here, there would be no reason for the other woman to stick around and help them. 

Lex just hoped that Ethan was still alive and able to receive medical help. 

She knew the exact minute that Tom placed the reason for her screaming, for he went pale with shock and released an audible gasp. It was no secret that Tom had a protective streak for both her and Ethan when they had been his students. Their less-than-stellar home-life combined with their enthusiasm for shop class meant that Tom self-appointed himself as their 'school-dad' as it were. They both probably would have had a lot more detentions had it not been for Tom getting them out of trouble. 

"Ethan!" The relief in Tom's voice was clear as day, and that confused Lex. Why would he be relieved with the state that Ethan was in? Surely he would be more upset than anything? Or at least the relief did confuse her until he continued, turning to the woman, "Didn't we see them die?" 

The confirmation that her boyfriend was alive comforted Lex, but the fact that they had been attacked to the point of supposed death caused her heart to drop. The lack of immediate action to keep them alive also aggravated her. Especially when the one medical professional in the group just continued to stare at the teen in shock and guilt.

"Well, can we do something then? Or are we just going to stare at them and hope that they magically heal themselves?" 

The couple startled out of their guilty stupor with Lex's pointed question and started to examine the unconscious form before them. Despite knowing nothing other than a basic knowledge of first aid, Lex kept a careful watch on their every move. Sure, she trusted Tom, and therefore by association she should at least give Becky a chance, but she found that her protective instincts did not care. All she knew was that someone other than her and her sister was touching one of the most important people in her life when she had no real clue as to whether they would survive this encounter. 

It was a difficult feeling to come to terms with.

Especially when combined with a slight guilt she felt in the fact that _she_ was the one who told them to hang around the mall with her sister until her shift finished. If it hadn't been for that, maybe they would have found entertainment elsewhere and therefore avoided all the events that had come to pass.

Lex could vaguely hear Tom and Becky muttering to each other as they inspected just how bad Ethan's injuries were and found she didn't care about the secrecy of their discussion. She just wanted Ethan to survive.

Hugging Hannah more tightly to her body, she continued to watch the whispers between the pair, hoping that they would come to a positive conclusion quickly. Or at least a way to move further from the mall without adding more injuries to the teen. Her worry for her boyfriend did not mean that she had forgotten about the fire raging within, and knew that it would only be a little more time before the whole mall went up in flames. 

Just as she was about to prompt them to hurry up and make a decision about the best course of action, Tom gently picked Ethan up in a bridal carry. Though it pained her, all she could do is watch as Becky positioned Ethan's limbs into more supported positions once they were safely ensconced within Tom's hold and ensured that their airway was still clear. 

Becky then turned to Lex, her gaze one of practiced reassurance often seen in medical professionals, before starting to explain the plan that the couple had come up with:

"I wouldn't ordinarily suggest moving…" 

She paused and looked at Lex questioningly. Knowing what she was wordlessly asking, Lex supplied the answer "them," grateful that the woman saw fit to clarify. 

That was one point towards Becky in Lex's book, she was aware enough of what pronouns herself and Tom had used when referring to Ethan and ensured that she was correct before potentially misgendering them. Her potential for trust grew as the woman nodded and continued smoothly, 

"them without a stretcher and proper analysis of injury first, but we are a little short of time at the moment. So we've decided that we're gonna just go straight to the hospital in my car as it's bigger than Tom's, you and Hannah are of course welcome to come along." 

Hannah was nodding before Becky had even finished her sentence and Lex agreed with her sister. There was no way that either of them were going to let Ethan out of their sight for the foreseeable future.

Lex wasn't going to lose Ethan again.


	3. Tomorrow/Today

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short transitionary chapter. If you've read my works before, you know that I hate these, so apologies for this. It's def not my best, but it's all I can do before the story gets going again. Sorry!

It took a bit of manoeuvring, and a lot of patience but eventually they managed to safely transfer Ethan to Becky's car. 

Ethan was tall, as lot taller than any of them, and trying to find a balance between care, speed and actual success in moving them was hard. A lot harder than they had all initially assumed it would be. 

But they made it and were now in the process of trying to fit everyone inside when two adults came speeding up to them looking worried. Lex was unsure of what to make of it considering they day they had, but Tom looked as though he knew them so she returned her attention back to Ethan. If there were any issues, there wasn't much she could do right now anyway.

Ethan was currently laying across both her and Hannah in the backseat of the car. Mostly upon her, as their tall form wouldn't allow Ethan to stretch out properly and none of them wanted to crush Hannah, but she didn't mind. Holding them against her chest was something that she didn't think she would have ever been able to do again, and having the reminder that they were still alive right against her was something that she needed right now.

Lex needed both of them to be okay.

She looked over to Hannah to see how she was coping with everything, to find that her sister wasn't paying any more attention to Ethan. Instead, her sole focus was upon the sky above them. 

Where before she would have just ignored this as Hannah just looking for looking's sake, after the day she's had and the revelations that have come from it, she wasn't about to repeat old patterns. Hannah knew a lot and if Webby started to tell her things again, she sure as hell was going to listen.

"Hey, Banana?" She asked softly, "What're you looking at? Has Webby told you something?" 

Her question grabbed the attention of the adults outside, and now all focus was upon the small girl. Instead of getting uncomfortable like she usually would have done in this situation, she simply replied, "tomorrow, today," and continued staring up at the sky.

Even if Hannah had not been acting uncharacteristically open in front of near strangers, she would have listened. But that just sealed the deal. Hannah didn't talk much at the best of times, let alone in front of people she didn't know. This message must have been important, and Lex could only see one reason why it would be:

They weren't safe yet.

Before she could explain this to Tom and the others outside, a military-style plane flew overhead. The sound was deafening in the unnatural quiet of the parking lot and she could feel the roar of the engine in her bones. Lex's heartbeat quickened as she realised what was likely going on. It wasn't hard to understand as though she had been distracted by Ethan, she hadn't been deaf to the discussions outside the car.

Lex knew that Moscow had been nuked and that World War Three was coming. She knew that it was only a matter of time before retaliation came and knew that escalation would be the tactic used. Though she felt horrible when considering all the lives that were about to be lost, she couldn’t help but be relieved that Hatchetfield was a small town in the middle of nowhere. 

That at least bought them some time.

Everyone else seemed to have jumped to the same conclusions as her, as they all jumped to action. Doors were slammed shut, engines ignited and soon they were following the couple through the destroyed streets of Hatchetfield. 

If she had thought they were in an apocalypse before, now really confirmed it. 

It looked like a scene from a movie. The streets were abandoned, and smashed glass was everywhere, glistening in the sun. Though she was relieved to not have to see any corpses, she couldn't help but wonder where everyone had gone. There was no evidence of life anywhere, and she could tell that everyone was unnerved by this. 

There had been literal riots over this doll, and the mall had been littered with bodies. Surely there would have been some evidence of this elsewhere, other than just the destroyed buildings? 

Though the tension in her body remained high, she did relax slightly when she realised where the couple were leading them. Sure, she vaguely remembered hearing a 'kooky, biology professor' or something being mentioned, but until this moment she hadn't connected the dots.

They were headed for Ethan's uncle.

Lex had always liked Henry. He wasn't around much, being ostracised from the family and all, but he had always been kind to Ethan. Much more so than their parents had ever been.

In fact, that was one of the things that helped them bond. Upon their first meeting, Lex had assumed that Ethan would have been one of those people that were dicks to the world because their parents were dicks to them. They certainly seemed like they would have been the type, but she had been pleasantly surprised. 

Ethan was much like her. 

They both strove to be better people, simply to prove their parents wrong. Spite was a huge motivator, and one of the many reasons why California had seemed such a dream. They both could have been who they wanted to be there, and would have been far away from any influence their parents may have tried to pull.

It could have been perfect and now that dream was all gone.

Staring down at Ethan now, she felt a tear slip down her cheek. They looked so hurt and fragile at the moment. Nothing like the Ethan that she was used to. The one that held her whilst she cried when Hannah was asleep, the one who took her little sister out for movie days during the times when she just needed a moment to herself.

The one who had been protecting her since they had met on the first day of school. 

She almost wished that she had just skipped the day and had left for California early. Almost. Because although they would have been blissfully happy, it also would have also meant that they would have been unaware of everything. Had she not been at the epicentre of everything, she knew that would have likely lost them both. At least this way she had a chance to make everything right. No matter how little that chance was.

She had a chance to be the protector now.

And although she was proud of them for giving Hannah the best chance of escape, she was also pissed that they thought their life was exchangeable. Hannah always came first, that was something that they both agreed upon, but that didn't mean that she was okay with losing Ethan in exchange. 

It was a tricky situation, and she can't fault them for making the decision that they did. But that didn't mean she had to like it. That didn't mean that she couldn't be pissed whilst also realising that she would have made the same call.

She kissed their forehead and settled back in her seat, waiting for Henry's home to pull into view. She couldn't wait to get there, as they would at least have a semblance of safety then. Today had been trying, and although she knew she wouldn't relax until this was all over, she would at least know that Ethan would be in good hands.

That's all that she could wish for right now. 

For Ethan and Hannah to be safe. 

They were her main priorities, and there would be hell to pay for anyone who attempted to get in her way.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so I am not non-binary, so I apologise if I have gotten anything wrong. I've asked my non-binary friend questions on how to write this realistically, but obviously not everyone has the same experiences. I also don't allow IRL people to read my writing, so I'm not sure if things are portrayed correctly. For that reason, please tell me if I have misrepresented Ethan in any way, that is not my intention and I really want to do this properly!


End file.
